


A Merlin Scene

by John_Faina



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur Knows About Merlin's Magic (Merlin), Best Friends, Deleted Scenes, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friendship/Love, Magic Revealed, Male Friendship, Sexual Tension, Short & Sweet, Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-05-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:56:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23941174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Faina/pseuds/John_Faina
Summary: Remember the two checking-for-woodworm scenes in Merlin S4E4? What if Arthur had been awake? What if he'd accidentally said something nice to Merlin upon waking? This fic is the combination and re-imagination of those two scenes, with a hint of sexual tension and--magic reveal!
Relationships: Merlin & Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 148





	A Merlin Scene

**Author's Note:**

> This is loosely based off of a [lovely gifset](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/775745104551452881/) of the same scene.

Arthur drifted into consciousness slowly and gently, as if he’d been swaddled like a babe in sleep’s arms and then carefully deposited into the arms of the waking world.

It was quiet. The world was soft.

He was warm and heavy and wonderfully rested. He hummed contentedly, nuzzling into his soft pillow, rubbing his feet into the cool, soothing sheets. When he opened his eyes, they were half-lidded, his vision blurry.

There was a dark figure kneeling at his bedside. Arthur blinked, unconcerned, waiting for the world to sharpen. The figure slowly came into focus.

_Oh_ , he thought, recognizing it with a rapid swelling of affection, _Merlin_.

The sound of keys jangling. Merlin turned his head to look at him, blinking in clear surprise. The familiar sight of dark hair, gigantic ears, and guilty eyes. Arthur’s lips twitched in a sleepy smile.

“Morning, sire,” Merlin said hastily, “I was just--”

“I do love your ridiculous face,” Arthur mumbled happily, nuzzling further into the pillow.

There was total silence.

It was another few moments before the dreamy fog of Arthur’s brain began to clear, and the reality of what he’d said sank in. Merlin’s eyes were dazed, like he’d wandered smack into a stone wall. There was something soft and wistful in them.

Arthur started as if he’d just woken, and pushed himself up onto his elbow. His gaze flickered over the sight of his servant kneeling on the floor like a creeping thief in the night.

“What on Earth are you doing?”

“I was--” Merlin began thickly. He couldn’t seem to find the words, his eyes fixed fast on Arthur’s. “Er--”

Arthur waited expectantly, his ears pink.

“I came to--” Merlin glanced about, then his gaze landed on the gold goblet on Arthur’s night table. “Get this!”

He rapidly stood, grabbing for the goblet--but fumbled it. The goblet went sailing over Arthur’s bed. Merlin made a wild grab for it and missed; before Arthur knew what was happening, he was scrambling over him, across the bed, to catch it before it hit the ground. He was too slow; the goblet tumbled over the edge.

Merlin hissed something, hand outstretched.

The goblet froze in mid-air.

Arthur watched, astounded and exasperated, as he snatched it up and scrambled upright again, palms digging into Arthur’s hip and middle, knees knocking against his shins. Arthur sat bolt upright, pressing himself against the headboard, bed clothes pooling around his hips, and waited.

One knee on the bed, one foot back on the ground, Merlin went still.

He slowly met Arthur’s eye.

They stared at each other.

“You--” Arthur started at the same time as Merlin shook his head and said, “No.”

They stopped and stared at each other some more.

Arthur sighed.

“Merlin, I just _watched_ you--”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Yes, I _did_ \--” he snapped, quickly losing patience in the face of Merlin’s insistence.

“Arthur,” Merlin breathed, dropping the goblet with a clang to the floor. “You’re half-asleep, you don’t know what you’re saying--”

“I know exactly what I’m saying!” Arthur rolled his eyes. “I’m not an idiot--”

“Yeah?” Merlin tossed back at him. “So you really do love my stupid face, then?” His tone was simpering.

Arthur yanked back his bed clothes, his jaw set, eyes aflame. Merlin did a sort of hop backwards and turned to make a run for it. But Arthur was fast; he grabbed Merlin from behind and hauled him back, throwing him onto the bed, where he landed gracelessly on his side. Merlin rolled away from Arthur’s outstretched hands. Arthur dove for him, manhandled him and his flailing limbs onto his back, then sat on him, hard. Merlin yelped, struggling, arching and twisting.

“Stop!” Arthur commanded. He grabbed Merlin’s arms and roughly pinned them on either side of his head. “Will you _stop_!”

There was much resistance in Merlin’s muscles, as he glared up at him. His hands were clenched into fists. And then all the fight seemed to go out of him at once. He fell limp under Arthur’s hold. Arthur was startled to see his eyes suddenly fill with tears.

“Arthur, please, I’m sorry,” he breathed. “It’s not--I didn’t mean to--”

“Didn’t mean to what?” Arthur shook him. “Put your life at risk for the sake of a goblet?”

Tears leaked out of the corners of Merlin’s eyes as he frantically nodded.

“Honestly, Merlin, I don’t understand your stupidity sometimes--”

“I don’t know, maybe it’s my face--”

“I didn’t say your face was stupid,” Arthur said with an irritable huff, “I said it was ridiculous--”

“Either way, you said you loved it, you _did_ say that--”

“I _do_!” Arthur burst out, tightening his grip on Merlin’s arms. Merlin went silent with a hiccup. Arthur’s fingers dug into him. “Seeing your pathetic excuse for a face is the highlight of every morning, Merlin, I really quite like our routine and have no desire to change it, so _please--please,_ for now, keep your magic under control.”

There was a resounding silence.

Merlin stared up at him, clearly stunned.

“Now,” Arthur said with quiet finality, certain that his point had been made. “I’m going to let you up. And you’re going to fetch me breakfast. And we’ll carry on with our day as usual. Is that understood?”

Merlin blinked. He gave a barely perceptible nod. Arthur was satisfied; he climbed off him, releasing his arms, and stood. Merlin slowly sat up. The dazed look was back, but worse this time; he looked like he’d taken a mace to the head.

“You knew,” he whispered. He blinked up at Arthur like he was the rising sun.

Arthur (having imagined this moment countless times) merely lifted an eyebrow.

“You knew I had magic.”

“Yes, Merlin.” Arthur’s tone was patiently condescending.

Merlin made a choked noise of disbelief that could easily have been a sob or a laugh. Arthur watched, quite amused, as the disbelief quickly turned into spluttering confusion.

“How did you--? When did--?”

“I’ve known for some time,” Arthur told him gently.

Merlin gaped. “You--! And you didn’t bother to--!”

“No,” Arthur said at once, going firm, “I didn’t. I needed time to figure out what to do. You lied to me.”

Merlin inhaled sharply and fell silent, pain in his eyes. It had to be said. Arthur leveled him with a stern, disappointed look for a long moment that was a mere shadow of the hurt and betrayal he had really felt after seeing Merlin’s eyes flash gold for the first time. But he soon allowed the forgiveness and understanding that he felt now to shine through. The forgiveness and understanding that had come all too quickly when, upon watching Merlin closely, it became clear that he used his magic for the good of the kingdom and never once for his own gain. Never once did he ask for thanks.

Difficult to stay angry with him when he was saving lives including his own, as it turned out. Infuriating.

Merlin’s eyes filled with tears again now, unbearable hope in them.

Yes, very difficult to stay angry.

“Go and fetch breakfast,” Arthur said softly, after a moment, jerking his head towards the door.

Merlin seemed to wrestle with himself, worrying at the knees of his breeches with trembling hands. For a long time, it seemed he couldn’t move. The next thing Arthur knew, Merlin was bounding to his feet and throwing his arms around him. Arthur stumbled backward a bit, catching him around the waist, pleased and not altogether surprised. Neither of them said a word. Arthur could feel the relief rolling off Merlin in waves, the gratitude, palpable and overwhelming.

“All right,” Arthur murmured, his throat thick. He patted Merlin on the back. “It’s all right.”

With a sniff, Merlin pulled away, scrubbing at his face. It didn’t hide the tears in his eyes, but Arthur did him the courtesy of not commenting upon them. He, himself, felt a prickling pressure that he had to blink away.

Merlin laughed, a happy, watery sound from behind his fingers. His hands parted and he held his face almost as if in effort to contain the emotion there.

“This is--” he breathed, his eyes shining when he looked at Arthur. “This is just--” His hands slid into his hair and then he was sort of whirling and stumbling, as if he wanted to run off somewhere but didn’t know where to go. “Oh, wait til I tell Gaius--but--but what was it that--? And how long--? Who else--? Does everyone--? And why hasn’t there--”

Suddenly Merlin stilled. He turned his head comically. Arthur tilted his head and smiled, waiting.

_“‘For now?’”_ Merlin asked, nearly straining his voice with the effort. Arthur almost laughed; he had wondered when he would catch onto that bit.

“Yes.”

“What do you mean ‘for now?’ Keep my magic under control _for now_?”

“Well, I can hardly have a magical servant in a land where magic is banned, can I?”

There was the sound of a gentle footfall as Merlin turned to face him. He locked eyes with Arthur. His gaze was intense, but guarded, as if he didn’t dare believe it.

“Arthur,” he breathed.

“I’ve had some time to think about it, “Arthur told him, holding his gaze. “The way I see it, there are two options before us.” He said it calmly, yet his heart began to beat a little faster. He’d imagined telling Merlin this, pictured his reaction, so many times. “You continue to be my servant,” he said, “and I repeal the ban on magic, thereby leaving you free to charm my laundry clean in peace--”

At this, Merlin’s eyes widened, his lips twitching.

“Or,” Arthur went on, “I repeal the ban on magic, and I bring you into my council as an adviser, where you’ll be free to use your magic and knowledge as you see fit.” He shrugged.

Merlin stood there, hardly breathing.

Arthur struggled to stifle his grin.

“Obviously, you’ll need some time to think about it,” he said seriously when it became clear that no reply was forthcoming, “but I believe there are benefits and downsides to both options, so I hope you’ll consider them carefully--”

Merlin’s eyes began moving rapidly back and forth, as if chasing a million thoughts at once.

“--and while I am, admittedly, partial to you as my servant, know that whatever decision you make, you will have the full support of your king.”

Merlin sputtered. His hands flew to his hair again as he laughed, half-disbelieving, half-delighted. Arthur watched him, his chest swelling.

“Arthur, I--” Merlin struggled for words. “Oh, I don’t know what to say!”

“Well, while you’re figuring it out,” Arthur said pointedly, stifling another smile. Merlin looked at him, uncomprehending, his smile dazzling.

“Breakfast, Merlin,” said Arthur kindly. “If you please.”

“Breakfast!”

It was as if there had never been a more brilliant idea, the way Merlin latched onto the word. He tripped toward the door.

“Of course! Breakfast fit for a king! What would you like, anything special?” he asked, but kept going before Arthur could answer. “No, never mind, I’ll just bring all your favorites--” He bumped quite hard into the wardrobe as he went, but didn’t seem to notice as he listed all of Arthur’s favorite foods. “It’ll be the best breakfast you’ve ever had, sire, just wait--won’t be a moment--”  
Merlin practically fell out the door.

As his excited footsteps faded down the corridor, Arthur spotted the gold goblet on the floor by the foot of his bed. He bent down to pick it up. Returning the goblet back to its place on the night table, Arthur gave into the urge to smile like a fool.

“I think that went rather well,” he murmured to it. He spent several happy moments just smiling, tracing the goblet’s rim.

Then he remembered that Merlin had been kneeling at this night table when he’d awoken. He remembered the sound of his keys jangling. Merlin’s guilty eyes. The smile disappeared from Arthur’s face, to be replaced by a curious frown.

What _had_ he been doing?

There was a beat.

Arthur whirled around. His roar echoed throughout the castle.

_“Merlin!”_


End file.
